Attorneys general in 17 states on Thursday urged the federal government to recall millions of Kia and Hyundai cars because they are too easy to steal, a response to a sharp increase in thefts fueled by a viral social media challenge. Some Kia and Hyundai cars sold in the United States in the last decade do not have an engine immobilizer, a standard feature on most cars that prevents the engine from starting unless the key is present.
Videos circulating on the social media service TikTok show how people can start Kia and Hyundai models using only a screwdriver and a USB cable. In Los Angeles, thefts of Hyundai and Kia cars set to increase by nearly 85 percent in 2022 now account for 20 percent of all car thefts in the city, according to the California Attorney General’s Office.
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These social media-inspired thefts have often ended in tragedy, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration blaming the stolen car trend for 14 accidents and eight deaths.
In October, a police commissioner said that a car accident in Buffalo, New York, that killed four teenagers may be linked to the TikTok challenge. Buffalo police said a total of six teens were in a speeding Kia that crashed in the incident. The car had been reported stolen.
“The bottom line is that Kia and Hyundai’s failure to install standard safety features on many of their vehicles has put vehicle owners and the public at risk,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release.
“Instead of taking responsibility with appropriate corrective action, these car manufacturers have chosen instead to pass this risk on to consumers and our communities.”
On Thursday, Bonta and other attorneys general sent a letter to NHTSA requesting a nationwide recall. The letter was also signed by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. ,
Kia said in a statement that it is focused on the issue, “and we will continue to take action to address the concerns raised by these attorneys general.” The automaker says that more than 165,000 customers have the software installed, and more than 2 million owners have been contacted about it. The company says the vehicles meet federal safety standards, so the recall is not necessary.
Hyundai also said that its vehicles comply with federal anti-theft requirements. The company says it rolled out the software upgrade to prevent theft two months ahead of schedule, but did not answer questions on how many vehicles had received it. “We are in dialogue with NHTSA on several of our actions to assist our customers,” the company said in the statement.
The letter adds to mounting pressure on South Korea-based automakers. Several cities, including St. Louis, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego, Seattle and Columbus, Ohio, have already sued the automakers.
In September, the Highway Loss Data Institute, a unit of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that Hyundai and Kia cars without immobilizers had a vehicle theft claim rate of 2.18 per 1,000 insured vehicle years. The rate for the rest of the industry combined was 1.21.
Hyundai and Kia announced in February that they would provide software updates for vehicles that require the key in the ignition switch to start the car. The change also updates the cars’ theft alarm software to increase the alarm duration from 30 seconds to 1 minute. Around 3.8 million Hyundai cars and 4.5 million Kia cars are eligible for the software update.
But the service campaign by the affiliated Korean automakers is not a recall, which comes with reporting requirements and is closely monitored by the NHTSA. The agency said the Hyundai and Kia thefts involved criminal conduct that falls within the jurisdiction of law enforcement. Nevertheless, NHTSA said it has met with automakers to discuss the theft vulnerability as well as software and hardware in affected models.
The agency said it is getting regular inputs about the plans of the companies. “NHTSA will continue to monitor this issue, spread awareness to local authorities with further updates, and provide its expertise in efforts to strengthen motor vehicle safety,” the agency said.
But Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said there is no way for the public to track the effectiveness of the company’s internal service campaign. In a recall, NHTSA requires quarterly reports and monitors whether the recalled repairs address the problem, he said. The agency also requires vehicle manufacturers to notify each owner by mail.
“We’ll never know how many people are on the road with the problem,” Brooks said, along with the company’s service campaign. “If the notification goes out properly, we will not know if the recall is in effect.”
Brooks said the NHTSA has been slow to react to auto theft, even though stolen Hyundais and Kias are causing road safety problems. Hyundai has said that all models produced after November 1, 2021, have immobilizers as standard equipment.